Midtown Bloggerinos! Raph here, and this time I’m going to share with you my experience at Baltimore Comic-Con! It was a two day affair at the Baltimore Convention Center, and I think it might become a part of my regular rotation of conventions! Read on!

Baltimore Comic-Con is one of the last major comic book conventions of the year. I consider it to be a small-to-mid-size con, which has its advantages. The panels are a little smaller and more intimate, which makes it easier to engage with the panelists in terms of questions, not to mention making it easier to see the slideshows. While yours truly didn’t make it to the Stan Lee panel, there were lots of things going on.

That’s me with the gender-bending Blue and Gold team of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold!

One thing that has really sprung up lately is cosplay, or superhero cosplay to be exact. Dressing up as characters people like has occurred since the earliest days of conventions, but for a while it seemed like most cosplayers were portraying characters from Japanese anime and manga. While I have nothing against Japanese comics and their fans, I kind of wished there were more to see when it came to superhero costumes. In the last half-decade or so, it’s expanded, and it’s cool to see peoples’ spin on things; I saw a gender-bending Gambit, as well as a Blue Beetle/Booster Gold team (seen above). It shows the passion people have, as well as the willingness and dedication they have to inhabit the role of the character.

Finally, there’s the show floor itself. BCC’s layout was pretty basic, dealers and exhibitors near the entrance, and artist alley in the connecting hall, with some artists interspersed. While it may sound awkward, I talked to numerous artists and creators interspersed throughout who said they had a good time and that they were doing well in terms of people coming up to them. It’s always awesome to see a big name like Frank Cho or Scott Snyder, but it’s equally cool to see people who aren’t well known, who are trying to make it. As someone who wants to publish myself, I can empathize with them and their struggle. It’s also cool to get on board and get sketches from these artists, because you can get an AMAZING sketch or print for relatively less. It’s always cool to see someone new, and say that you got in on the ground floor with them!

Overall, the Baltimore Comic-Con was a good experience. The only thing that might’ve been a problem was space, but that’s a great problem to have. It means that more people than expected showed up, and more people than expected got exposed to comics and art, and that means more fans. For me, that is the most important thing a convention does. It also whetted my appetite for New York Comic-Con… which is much bigger, and probably more intimidating. If you’re looking for a convention on the East Coast that’s nice and easy to reach, I suggest checking out Baltimore Comic-Con! That’s all for now, until next time—